April 12, 2023 Reno City Council Preview
The Placemaking Study wraps up, plus the latest on the Lear, Jacobs & more
I don’t want to jinx anything, but it seems like it might finally be safe to wish everyone a Happy Spring. Grateful as I know we are for all the winter’s abundant precipitation, my heart is so happy to see those daffodils finally bursting through the soil.
Tomorrow (Wednesday 4/12), City Council will be receiving Gehl Studio’s final recommendations from the Virginia Street Placemaking Study. Plus I have updates (of sorts) on the Lear Theater, the Bowling Stadium mural, more demolition from Jacobs, and what’s happening (& what’s not) with the old CitiCenter station on Center Street.
You can access the full April 12 Council agenda with hyperlinks here. So let’s look first at the final Placemaking Study recommendations.
Item D. 4: The Placemaking Study
Item D.4 is an action item where Council can potentially both accept the final recommendations and vote to adopt Gehl’s three suggested implementation phases.
There are three documents available to the public in advance of the meeting:
The six-page Staff Report summarizes the previous Council actions and Gehl’s process (pp. 1-3) and provides a basic outline of their recommended three-phase approach (pp. 4-6).
The staff’s Final Report Memo to Council repeats the basic components of the three suggested phases (pages 1-3), along with explanations of what are categorized as “five strategic moves” to explain the underlying goals of the phased actions plus illustrations of the most central concepts (pages 3-7).
Lastly, you can read the entire 143-page Placemaking Study document. This is a comprehensive overview of the entire process, including justifications, explanations, and plentiful illustrations. The final “Recommendations & Concept Alternatives” begin on p. 81. Funding initiatives are described on p. 125. The implementation phases are again described on p. 126-129 with a map of where along Virginia Street those actions would take place on page 130.
It's a lot to take in, and the recommendations look much like what we were shown in the last public meeting (February 23), which I discussed in my last Brief, “Placemaking, Micromobility, and You” as did Mike Van Houten of Downtown Makeover here. More recently, Ben Margiott of News4Reno wrote a summary of the final recommendations. There’s really too much to go over here, so I suggest you dig into it as you are interested and able, and do consider sending in or delivering your comments to City Council following the instructions at the top of the agenda.
One of the most significant recommendations would add protected bike lanes through the entire central section of Virginia Street by eliminating the center turn lane in the heart of downtown and modifying the timing of stop lights to slow traffic even further (see p. 128). Here’s an illustration of a “typical section” in that area.
That change would, of course, have significant repercussions for traffic of all kinds on both Virginia and the surrounding streets. There’s no corresponding new traffic study of what precisely those repercussions would be, and last year’s Micromobility Pilot Project didn’t test out that particular lane configuration through the heart of downtown, so I assume that City would have to coordinate with the RTC to explore that a bit further before just approving that significant a change. What impact it might have on other plans for bike lanes through the downtown area (like the paused Center Street Cycle Track) is also unknown. There are also a lot of extremely detailed recommendations for modifying intersections, so if that interests you, you’ll want to check out both “Elevate the Baseline” (pp. 87-98) and “Connect the Dots” (pp. 99-105).
Other suggestions include specific interventions proposed for activating some of the inactive ground level space (which comprises 70% of the corridor). A lot involves adding seating (some removable for special events) and stepping up the programming of public spaces. More intensive changes include modifying the Virginia Street-facing side of the Circus Circus parking garage to install “micro retail” spaces (in phase 1).
The Circus Circus parking garage spans a full city block between Sixth and Seventh Streets (as seen here), and I’m not sure how much of it these spaces would fill, what hours they would operate, or what they would sell. Perhaps they would be at the northernmost end, closest to the new University Crossing commercial development still under construction? From initial appearances, these spaces would seem most compatible with daylight hours in warmer weather, but that might depend on how robustly they’re designed. There’s an example of four such spaces branded “Moment DTSJ” on San Pedro Street in San Jose (view on Google Maps here).
As longtime readers might recall from my September 2021 Brief called “What’s the Future of Virginia Street?” The ROW’s attorney, Michael Pagni, urged the RTC in November 2020 to embark upon improvements to Virginia Street including installing downtown bike lanes on Virginia Street rather than Center Street, and continued, “RTC’s recent project in Midtown demonstrates the transformative nature streetscape improvements can have on a neighborhood. Activating Virginia Street will also accelerate considerations by the ROW properties to open their buildings up to pedestrian activity on Virginia Street through sidewalk cafes, etc.”
Well, here we are activating Virginia Street, so I’m curious whether the Circus Circus parking garage concept would constitute the extent of this “opening up” by The ROW or whether they would also accelerate consideration of doing anything to generate more activity along the three-block stretch of the Eldorado, Silver Legacy, and Circus Circus (Pagni’s letter depicted a whole row of sidewalk cafes). I certainly hope so.
Gehl also proposes, as part of a third phase, the installation of a “Makers Row @ Court” to activate the Virginia Street side of the parking lot just south of the Washoe County Courthouse. It’s worth pointing out that the large County-owned parking lot is already slated to become the site of new and upgraded courthouse facilities, office building, and a parking structure, as outlined in the Washoe County Downtown Master Plan. I’ve been told the County Commission should be hearing an update on the status of that plan this spring. With that in mind, I’d suggest that rather than devoting time, resources and energy to temporarily activating the edge of the parking lot, the City might be better served by working with the County to determine whether their new complex, whenever constructed, could incorporate a row of active storefronts along Virginia Street—perhaps as part of a public/private partnership?
Gehl’s recommendations also include something they’re calling “The ROW Placita,” which is the parcel that Eldorado Resorts owns between Virginia Street and the west entrance to the Downtown Reno Ballroom, on the NE corner of Virginia & Fourth. It’s just a big paved space, and this strategy would add wayfinding and removable seating so The ROW could continue to use it for occasional special events.
While down there yesterday, I also just noticed that the site where the St. Alban’s Hotel used to be (across Fourth Street from the “Placita”) has been paved, suggesting that there’s no intention to replace the hotel with another building anytime soon, if at all. Just as a reminder, before it was demolished, the hotel had four storefronts and two upper floors and looked like this in 2015. Here’s a more recent view. The building may not have been pretty, but it did hold great adaptive potential for ongoing street activation, something I’d hoped would at least be the goal for whatever replaced it.
Gehl additionally recommends adding lots of street furniture and seating in all public spaces, and in phase one, adding a visitor kiosk and food vendor to the City Plaza, and suggesting a more significant overhaul at a later date. In fact, Gehl recommends the City create a “comprehensive downtown public space plan…targeting open space transformations and programming efforts to deliver a variation of experiences across downtown. It is recommended that the alleyways are included in the public space plan and that the history of the alleyways, historic buildings, and signage is celebrated throughout future transformation of downtown Reno” (p. 126). I’m all for strengthening our connection to stories from the past, as I wrote in my last Brief, as I believe that’s a fundamental component of turning city spaces into beloved places.
I do want to point out that many of these recommendations have been provided to the City before, in the Downtown Action Plan and Master Plan. Both address the downtown stretch of Virginia Street as just one component of the larger area defined as the Entertainment District, which extends from approximately Second Street north to Seventh Street and from Arlington on the west (plus a little further west on the south end) to Record Street. If I have any overarching concerns with this Placemaking Study, it’s that it treats Virginia Street largely in isolation, and doesn’t explicitly connect its strategies to components of existing City plans or to the streets and spaces around it, when they’re all inextricably connected, and consistency is key.
Throughout this entire multi-block area, for instance, the City Master Plan already directs the City to prioritize street-level activation and visual interest through some very specific design considerations that are also articulated by the Placemaking Study.
The Downtown Action Plan includes sections that will sound familiar to anyone reading Gehl’s report. Here are just a few excerpts from that 2017 plan:
On Street Safety: “Streets provide the lifeblood of the city and are the most utilized non-developed space in the city. They allow people to interact with their city and they are for use by everyone. Key streets should be physically comfortable and safe for pedestrians, cyclists, motorists and transit users.” (p. 64)
On Public Spaces: “There is a great deal of hardscape in the downtown core and not many opportunities to enjoy existing public spaces. Encouraging people to linger and enjoy a place is an important aspect of creating a neighborhood. Existing public spaces should be activated with a variety of programming elements so they can be enjoyed by all.” (p. 64)
On Buildings and Façade Enhancements: “Develop, fund and implement a façade rehabilitation program for structures within Downtown to promote the restoration of historic and meaningful buildings.” (p. 64).
On Wayfinding: “Add bike and walk distance/time markers and wayfinding signs to key destinations throughout Downtown including UNR, RTC Transit Center, the Truckee River, Aces Stadium, Midtown, etc.” (p. 64)
It’s great for Gehl to reinforce and hasten the implementation of these existing recommendations along Virginia Street, but it’s important to make sure that we don’t stop there, and that we continue to consistently prioritize these initiatives in public and private spaces throughout the downtown area. Keep in mind that in order to make downtown safe and appealing, the activation of space needs to be more than just sporadic and seasonal, more than what can be achieved through special events or daytime use. Only the activation and addition of permanent buildings with active uses and ground-level entrances will generate consistent pedestrian activity, as residents, visitors and patrons walk from one building to another, from restaurants to parking spots, from hotels to theaters, from apartments to gyms, creating that ongoing bustle of activity that makes a street feel safer at all times, every day and well into the night.
The old CitiCenter transit station
On that note, when I saw that the Downtown Reno Partnership (DRP) would be providing an update to Council at the March 22 meeting, it occurred to me that I hadn’t heard yet whether the City would be reopening a Request for Interest for the site, a 1.138-acre parcel with two small buildings of 3,064 SF each.
Recall that back in 2019, the City issued a Request for Interest in programming or redeveloping the site. In the meantime, for the past five years the DRP has been allowed to lease one of the buildings to use as its headquarters. The proposal selected by the City in 2019 (a non-gaming hotel concept described here) seems to have evaporated, but I can’t help but wonder if this key central location could be put to better use, with the DRP leasing private space nearby or even in whatever building might be constructed there. This is a sizeable parcel that could house a high-rise building generating substantial street-level activity both day and night, not just a handful of private offices and occasional special events. At this point, were someone to decide to walk at night from the Silver Legacy to The Depot on East 4th, they’d have to walk past two vacant parcels, followed by the blank face of the Reno Ballroom and the desolate CitiCenter site, the Events Center, and the Bowling Stadium, and that’s just to get to Lake Street. If we are to take the premise of the Placemaking Study seriously, we need to apply its lessons to the entire area, not just a single street.
At this point, it looks like the City isn’t formally reopening the site to proposals. In their update in the March 22 meeting the DRP revealed that they have budgeted substantial funds toward marketing and programming the pavilion as "Partnership Plaza.” In response to my query about it on Facebook, former Councilmember/now DRP Executive Director Neoma Jardon wrote, “if the City of Reno Government has an agreed upon alternate project they want for this space…..great! We’ll move. But in the meanwhile we are cleaning up and activating the space (which has reduced Reno Police Department calls for service) so the community can enjoy it. Win, Win!”
But is it the winningest win for this City-owned site? Just something to think about.
The latest on the Lear Theater
Our Town Reno recently asked on Facebook if anyone knew what was happening with the Lear Theater (the historic 1939 First Church of Christ, Scientist), and I posted what I had recently heard while attending the Black Community Collective's gala honoring Geralda Miller on March 25, where the Mayor and several Councilmembers were in attendance. There, Ms. Miller urged what she and others have been long advocating for--that it become a cultural center (she has suggested naming it the Paul R. Williams Cultural Center in honor of the architect).
Councilman Devon Reese, on stage with Mayor Schieve to deliver a proclamation in Ms. Miller’s honor, voiced his support for that idea, saying, “The Paul Revere Williams Cultural Center--that has got to happen.” Noticing I was in the audience, the Mayor called to me, “What do you think?” (I was filming, but I gave a thumbs up). I do think it's a great idea, but as I said on Facebook, in the interest of public process I know everyone who was there and cheered the idea understands that it's important to hold an inclusive public meeting about this landmark before any single plan moves forward, the City issues a Request for Interest, or anything along those lines.
I tagged the Mayor and several Councilmembers to ask about the prospect of a community meeting about it, and Councilmember Naomi Duerr replied, “Actually, it's the beginning of ‘an end in sight.’ YAY! The City allocated $1 million from our ARPA funds just last month to begin the process on the Lear. We will use some of the funds to conduct a historic structures report and some to upgrade the outside of the structure and grounds. The inside is more complicated and will require quite a bit of discussion and public process. I'm committed to the Lear. It's one of the reasons I asked to become the Liaison to the Reno Historic Resources Commission. Stay tuned.”
The Historical Resources Commission’s next meeting is this Thursday, April 13 and the agenda includes item B.1: Discussion and Recommendation regarding the Lear Theater, but I don’t know what it concerns. I hope, as I’ve been saying since the City first decided to purchase the building from Artown, that what we’ll soon hear is that the City is scheduling the first stage of that “discussion and public process” Councilmember Duerr mentions, something we can all attend. In the meantime, I’m very happy to hear that a historic structures report will soon be commissioned.
The Bowling Stadium Mural
For anyone following the procedural issues related to the mural on the National Bowling Stadium, which I covered last time in “When a mural is more than a mural,” I went down to the site yesterday to check it out, and here’s a view of what’s being painted along the Center Street side. I can’t tell if it’s completed yet, but you can consult that last Brief to compare with what the Public Art Committee approved.
Also on the public art front, I see that Item D.1 on tomorrow’s Council agenda involves some legal action involving the Space Whale NFT, so check that out.
More demolitions from Jacobs Entertainment
Lastly, Jacobs Entertainment is about to demolish more buildings, including the Rancho Sierra Motel, located directly across West 4th Street from The Sands—a property Jacobs acquired in 2022. As Downtown Makeover has calculated, the three properties currently slated for demolition comprise 63 more units being removed from the market, with no indication of anything to be constructed in their place.
ADDENDUM
4:25pm, April 11, 2023
Just hours after publishing this Brief, I became aware of two investigative articles just published today by Jason Hidalgo of the Reno Gazette-Journal. I’m sure I’ll write about their contents in the future but in the meantime just want to make sure others have read them prior to tomorrow’s (4/12) City Council meeting as they contain relevant information.
Article #1: “Virginia Street bike lanes pit small businesses against The ROW hotel-casinos”
Excerpt:
Despite opposition by small businesses as well as previous studies showing that Virginia Street was not an ideal location for bike lanes, the city of Reno has expressed strong interest in putting bike lanes on the thoroughfare’s downtown stretch. That interest even came at the expense of the now paused Center Street cycle track, which successfully went through a public approval process and was initially on track to be built by the summer of this year.
Landon Mack believes there’s one key factor that differentiates the situation regarding Virginia Street downtown vs. Midtown: The ROW. For the last three decades, the Tri-Properties have gotten their way on transportation improvements that have restricted traffic and customer access for smaller businesses on Virginia Street, Mack said.
“They own parking garages so they took off all the street parking and figured it was also a good time to get wider sidewalks,” Mack said. “Then they narrowed the streets, which used to be four lanes with a center turn lane.”
“Virginia Street has just been getting narrower and narrower,” Mack added.
Article #2: “Poor morale, resignations hit RTC Washoe as projects get ‘political’”
Center Street Cycle Track woes are a symptom to issues plaguing Washoe County’s leading transportation agency.
Excerpt:
Here are the issues uncovered by the RGJ's investigation:
A pattern of political maneuvering that influenced project decisions, at times trumping analysis and best practices. Examples included deference to private interests that provided input on public projects. In one case, a key downtown project [The Center Street Cycle Track] was paused after a large gaming corporation requested that it be moved to a street adjacent to its hotel-casino properties.
Unilateral decision-making at the top on key projects without adequate input from the staff or board. Current and former staff members felt marginalized by the leadership style of executive director Bill Thomas, who prefers to communicate through the chain of command with a few select individuals. Staffers were afraid to raise issues or provide contrary opinions for fear of being “blackballed.” Thomas also had a penchant for making important decisions without seeking board input beforehand.
An effort to curb public accountability at the agency. Before resigning, the former deputy executive director raised concerns about “mixed messages delivered to the public, and a general lack of transparency.” A staff member who volunteered to attend a city meeting to respond to public concerns about a cycle track project was told not to attend. Staffers were asked to stop using emails for certain communications after the RGJ sent a public records request.
As always, you can view this and prior newsletters on my Substack site and follow the Brief (and contribute to the ongoing conversation) on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram. If you feel inspired to contribute to my efforts, my Venmo account is @Dr-Alicia-Barber and you can mail checks, if you like, to Alicia Barber at P.O. Box 11955, Reno, NV 89510. Thanks so much for reading, and have a great week.